Wire belt



March 28, 1939. I N, s. HARTER 2,151,913

WIRE BELT Filed Feb. 2l, 1936 O/ O/ /f l [mei/5074: /Vow 5. Hq@ TEE,

Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,151,913 WIRE BELT Noah .S/sHarter, Waukegan, Ill., assignor to Cyclone Fence Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 21, 1936, Serial No. 65,158'

' s claims. (c1. 245-6) l This invention is a belt including wire coils intermeshed in parallel arrangement. The belt is primarily intended for use as a conveyer and particularly as a furnace conveyer where high temperatures andpossible contamination from carried articles are to be expected.`

It is well known that a belt of the above character is subject to undue stretching when tensioned, the wire coils functioning as springs which contract. That is to say, tension on the belt must be transmitted from one intermeshed coil to another, by way of their interengaging convolutions, and this transversely tensions the coils so as to transversely stretch their convolultions and cause the coils to shorten. Various schemes have been proposed for remedying this trouble. Some of these-accomplish their object but introduce other troubles. For instance, one such scheme is to insert straight Wires betweenv the intermeshing portions of the coils in such manner that the ends of these wires bear against the ends of the coils to preventl their contraction and this, although it may preventstretching, results in the formation of what is essentially a solid mass of metal that"dissipa`tes heat very slowly; Also, it results in large bearing sur- Vfaces on which the various coils must pivot and vthereby introduces undesirable rigidity. particularly when these large surfaces become' contaminated. Since the ends of these straight wires bear against the ends of the coils further friction, if not actual interference, is introduced. Another expedient is to relieve the belt of tension by providing itwith a carrier but, in this instance, the belt itself does not function as a conveyer, the belt being but a part of an assembly. If the belt is not tensioned, there is obviously no problem involved in its use.

Now one of the objects of the present inventor is to prevent the stretching of belts of the character under discussion without at the same time providing large masses of metal and without interfering with the inherent exibility of such belts. Other objects may be inferred from the following disclosure of a specific example of a belt vembodying the features of the present invention. E

This example is illustrated by the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 showing the top of a portion of the same and Figure 2 showing the edge.

'I'he wire coils i are shown as being inter-- meshed in parallel arrangement, the intermeshing of their extreme ends being provided for by interlooped portions IB. To prevent the contraction of these coils which isv necessary to permit stretchingand which results when they are transversely tensioned while transmitting the longitudinal belt tension,.straight wires 2 extend the ends of the wires .2 are in all cases welded to the coils and are free from the interlooped portions IE of their ends. y

Figure 2 shows that the wires 2 alllie in the same plane, this relationship being maintained throughout the belt. Furthermore, it shows most clearly that the wires 2 are welded to the insides of the convolutions of the coils l whereby 15 they are out of the way.

A belt constructed like the ndisclosed example obviously does not provide excessive masses. of metal. is shown by the drawing, the Welding. may be done electrically whereby the contact between the wires 2g' and the coils I are essentially of a point character. Although the use of the wires 2 results in additional metal, the large radiation'areas provide at the same time-for quick heat dissipation. The freecharacter of the ends o f the wires 2 is also important in this respect. 1

Furthermore, the fact that the wires 2 are between the intermeshing portions of the coils l allows the belt to ex exactly as though the wires 2 were not used at all. That is to say, the frictional surfaces on which the coils I must pivot are not increased in area, this being particularly important in furnace Work where contamination of the pivoting parts is apt to occur. Here again the importance of the free character of the ends of athe Wires'2 is to be noted, there being absolutely no interference presented the pivoting action of theinterlooped portions ,in of the coils i.

The above advantages are lsoinherent in* the present invention that the wires 2 may be arranged in the same plane and on the inside of the coils Without the re-introduction of the men-v tioned troubles. The described positioning of the wires I is important in the interests of getting them out of the way and at the same time providing a neat and structurally strong unit. l

Although a specific example of this invention has been described in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that this is not intended as a limitation of the scope of the invention other than as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: E

1. A belt having wire coils intermeshed in parallel arrangement, said belt being adapted to work under tension transmitted transversely through saidcoils by way of their convolutions and having cross wires extending the lengths of at least some of said coils; each of said cross wires being positioned free from the intermeshing portions ot the convolutions oi said coils and being fixed to both ends of the coil with -which it is associated to prevent contraction of said coil when Asaid belt is tensioned.

2. A belt having wire coils intermeshed in parallel arrangement, said belt being adapted towork under tension transmitted transversely through saidcoils by way of their convolutions and having cross wires extending the lengths of at least some of said coils, each of said cross wires being positioned free from the intermeshing portions of the convolutions of said coils and being welded to the insides of the convolutions of the coil with which it is associated at both ends of said coil to prevent contraction of the latter when said belt is tensioned.

3. A belt having-wire coils intermeshed in parallel arrangement, said belt being adapted to work under tension transmitted transversely through said coils by way of their convolutions and having cross wires extending the lengths of at least some oi said coils, each of said cross .wires being positioned free from the intermeshing portions of the convolutions of said coils and being welded to the sides of the convolutions of the coil with which it is associated at positions intermediate the portions of said convolutions intermeshing with the convolutions of adjacent coils and at both ends of said coil to prevent contraction of the latter when said belt is tensioned.

NOAH s. HAB'I'ER. 

